Load moving mechanism



y 28, 1963 M. w PASTORE ETAL 3,091,222

LOAD MOVING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 6. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS MICHAEL W. PASTORE RAYMOND H. HOLBROOKE ATTORNEY.

May 28, 1963 M. w. PASTORE ETAL 3,091,222

LOAD MOVING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 6. 1960 e Sheets-Sheet 2 YINVENTORS. 'MlCHAEL w. PASTORE RAYMOND H. HOLBROOKE ATTORNEY.

y 23, 1963 M. w. PASTORE ETAL 3,091,222

LOAD MOVING MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 6. 1960 INVENTORS. MICHAEL w. PASTORE RAYMOND H. HOLBROOKE ATTORNEY.

y 1963 M. w. PASTORE ETAL 3,091,222

LOAD MOVING MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 6, 1960 INVENTORS. MICHAEL W. PASTORE RAYMOND H. HOLBROOKE ATTORNEY.

y 1963 M. w. PASTORE ETAL 3,091,222

LOAD MOVING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 6. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I I A W A l +w- T 9 T r E N I;

J m r m MAN? INVENTORS. MICHAEL W. PASTORE Y RAYMOND H. HOLBROOKE ATTORNEY.

TJLEIEI United states 3,091,222 LOAD MOVING WCHANISM Michael W. Pasture, Simsbury, Conn, and Raymond H.

Holbrooke, Agawam, Mass, assignors to Pippin Construction Equipment, Inc., White River Junction, Vt, a corporation Filed Dec. 6, 1969, Ser. No. 74,040 2 Claims. (Cl. 121-63) The present invention rel-ates generally to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in a load moving mechanism and is directed more particularly to the provision of a hydraulically actuated device for hauling, pulling, elevating, lifting, lowering or holding .a load, same having general utility in the arts.

Essentially, it is a means for translating rectilinear motion into rotative motion through the use of a pair of pivotable cylinders and pistons and cooperating integral cams mounted upon a rotatable drive shaft, with the pistons being linked to the cams, in combination with four-way valves for the directional control of fluid flow to the cylinders.

It will be helpful to an understanding of our invention to first briefly consider some of the essential points and more important features and aspects thereof, so that same may be kept in mind during the subsequent reading of the detailed description of the practical embodiment of our improvements and of the illustration thereof in the hereunto annexed drawings.

Accordingly, it is first to be noted that our invention may be employed either on mobile or stationary supporting structures. It may be mounted on the rear of a tractor or other vehicle, on a wall, or on other stationary supporting surfaces. Its use is limited only by the availability of pumping means to supply the fluid power necessary to drive the pistons thereof.

Norm-ally, conventional hydraulic motors must be geared down to develop high torque. Road machinery, construction and agricultural equipment and lift devices generally require low speeds with high loading characteristics.

In contradistinction, we have devised a novel means whereby these d-ifliculties and objections are overcome. We accomplish this by the provision of a device which provides high torque while running at low speed thus avoiding mechanical speed reduction and eliminating the aforesaid objectionable inconveniences.

It is therefore an object of the invention to furnish an improvement in the art which, on the basis of the factors involved, is capable of solving the difliculties encountered and is easily operable by one man for the ready accomplishment of the functions for which it is designed.

Basically, the apparatus hereof comprises two double acting single rod end cylinders which are mounted with respect to a reel or spool. The cylinders are pivoted at their piston ends to a pin which is anchored in the frame or housing, while the rod ends of the cylinders are connected to a crank arm and are restrained to move in a rotary motion while actuating a pin at the extremity of the crank arm. The crank arm and reel are keyed to a reel shaft which rotates as an integral unit, with the crank arm and reel either drawing in or playing out a cable disposed upon the reel. The reel and crank are supported by the reel shaft, which is in turn supported by and journalled in the main frame or housing. The cylinders are supported by the main frame at their pivot ends, :and by the crank end pin at their rod ends. The cranks are mounted upon the reel shaft approximately 90 out of phase, one with the other, on the same turning radius, thus insuring that at no time does the condition exist wherein both rod ends are at dead center. Cams are mounted integral with each of the cranks and 3,691,222 Patented May 28, 1963 ice rotate as units therewith, with the cams controlling two four-way three position, control valves which control and direct hydraulic fluid to the proper ends of the cylinder at the proper time, thus synchronizing the proper valve spool position with the rotary position of the crank and the linear position of the cylinders.

Basically, the four-way, three position metering valves control the sequencing and synchronizing of fluid flow to the two cylinders with reel shaft rotation.

In this manner, the force of the cylinders is directed at all times so as to effectuate rotation of the reel in one direction. In the course of one revolution, the cylinders are each pushing in unison, are each pulling in unison, or one is pushing while the other is pulling.

By controlling the cam contour, a proper flow rate may be obtained.

lP-referentially, fluid pressure is supplied to the apparatus hereof by a pump capable of producing seventeen gallons .per minute at a pressure of 2000 psi. The fluid pressure is fed from the pump through the fourway, three-position, control valves to the cylinders and thence to two, parallel acting, three-position, control valves mounted upon the main frame or housing.

The three-position control valves operate in conjunction with a control lever and allow the spool or reel to rotate forwardly or pay out, to rotate rearwardly or pull in, to hold (-and/ or to allow) the load to rotate the spool.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide load moving apparatus for translating rectilinear motion into rotative motion by means of two pivotable cylinders and pistons linked to integral cams rotatable on a drive shaft, said pistons being approximately out of phase in order to avoid so-called dead spots or dead center. Stated otherwise, when one piston is at the extreme forward position of the stroke or at the extreme rearward posit-ion, the other piston provides a full thrust to move its counterpart over the centerline or the dead spot.

Still :a further object is to provide a load-moving apparatus having incorporated into its construction novel spring-loaded clutch and drag mechanisms which may be actuated readily by the operator to achieve controlled free spooling so that the cable may be unwound by hand without danger to the operator.

One salient [feature hereof is that the spool or reel may be caused to rotate-in either a forward or reverse direction with facility.

Stillanother feature worthy of particular note is the construction of the housing or main framework which is so designed as to protect the drum or spool and to positively preclude the possibility of the cable or line from jamming between the reel and the housing.

To make the manufacture of the load moving apparatus a more profitable undertaking, the mechanism embodying the essence of the invention has been engineered in manner as to be simple in its construction so as to expedite economical large-scale production and assembly, the usual complexity of components having been so greatly reduced as to offer a compact design representative of a fundamentally new concept in the combining and co acting of its various parts.

Precision of relative dimensioning of parts as militates against inexpensive manufacture, simplicity of maintenance and care, and consistency of performance in practical use have been assiduously borne in mind in the development of the present invention.

Too, We provide a hydraulically actuated device of the abovementioned character in which ruggedness and durability of construction are combined with simplicity of protection against usual but hard conditions of practical use and with simplicity and ease of use.

Further, while the components are uniquely compact, they are nevertheless readily accessible for maintenance and replacement purposes with a consequent reduction in maintenance costs over related devices heretofore known.

To provide apparatus which effectively meets the requirements therefor and perform its functions in a practical and dependable manner is among the dominant aims of this invention.

The objects of the invention are susceptible of attainment by use of constructions different in certain respects from that disclosed, such as minor changes and variations in dimensions, shape, form, proportion, integration, cooperation of material and/ or type of subassembly and accessory, all without departing from the underlying principles, salient features, scope and spirit hereof.

While all of these objects are attainable in the preferred and disclosed embodiment, it is to be understood that, by utilizing the invention only in certain of its aspects, certain of the objects may be attained individually or in sub-groups without necessarily attaining all of the objects. That is, while the advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined, useful embodiments may be produced involving less than the whole.

The characteristic features which we consider to be novel with our invention, as to its construction and organization and as to its methods of manufacture and operation, will be better understood from a consideration of the following detailed description forming a part of this specification, when read in conjunction with the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are employed to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, showing the load moving apparatus hereof mounted upon a tractor;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the load moving apparatus hereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, in perspective, showing the main frame or housing of the apparatus;

*FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the load moving apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan View of the cam means of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the hydraulic assembly of the apparatus of the invention.

In the following description and in the appended claims, various components and details thereof will be identified by specific names for purposes of convenience. The phraseology or terminology herein employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Although specific terms and expressions are employed for purposes of identifying various components, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, they being intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit and not intended to exclude any reasonable equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof.

With continued reference now to the drawings, which illustrate a typical and preferred embodiment of the invention for the purpose of disclosure and forms a part of this specification, we have shown a load moving mechanism or winch generally indicated by numeral 2. While the apparatus will be described and illustrated specifically in operative relation to a tractor, it will be understood that it may be mounted upon other vehicles or upon stationary surfaces having the necessary fluid power source.

The winch housing or casting or main frame is generally indicated by 4 and is comprised of a vertical generally rectangular rear wall 6 having a pair of spaced,

parallel, cylinder housings generally indicated by 8 fixed to and extending forwardly from its forward face adjacent its outer, vertical, side edges.

The cylinder housings 8, of the pair thereof, each have an upper wall 10 which extends generally horizontally outwardly from the rear wall 6 to meet and merge with an angularly downwardly and outwardly extending forward wall 12 which curves gently inwardly and upwardly at its lower extremity to form a generally U-shaped cam housing 14. Said cam housing 14 joins with a horizontally outwardly extending wall 16 at the lower horizontal edge of the rear wall 6 to form the lower wall of the cylinder housing.

Spaced bosses 18 and 20 project laterally outwardly from an inner vertically-disposed wall 22 defining the inner side wall of each of the cylinder housings adjacent the upper and lower extremities thereof respectively, which bosses are interconnected by an angularly disposed brace wall or web 24.

The bosses 18 and 20 are suitably apertured rto accommodate components in manner subsequently to be described.

A central angularly-disposed Wall 26 is disposed between the spaced side walls 22 of the cylinder housings 8 forwardly of and spaced from the rear wall 6 and is provided at its lower extremity with a central, upwardly extending, cut-out portion 28 whereby ready access to certain of the winch components, subsequently to be described, may be obtained.

Referring to FIG. 3, it will be observed that the outer face of the lower portion of the wall 22 of each of the cylinder housings is provided with an annular shoulder or flange 30, which flanges are of suitable size to accommodate the rim of a reel or spool when same is disposed between the cylinder housings 8.

The frame or housing 4 may be fixed to the rear of a tractor T or to any other suitable surface, such as a building wall as by brackets 32 extending rearwardly from the rear wall 6 thereof.

Cylinders 34 are provided within each of the cylinder housings 8 and extend between the respective bosses 18 and 26 with the closed end of the cylinder being pivoted upon a shaft 36 extending outwardly from the boss 18 and the outer end of the piston of the cylinder being pivoted to a pivot shaft 38 extending outwardly from a cam 40, subsequently to be described, disposed adjacent the lower boss 20.

Cams 40 are journalled upon and keyed to the opposite ends of a horizontal drive shaft 42 which extends between and into each of the cam housings 14 and is journalled in the respective bosses 20.

Each cam 40 has an outer periphery provided with a cam face 44' and an outermost body portion 46 of more or less rectangular configuration extending outwardly from one side thereof.

A pair of spaced openings 48 and 50 extend trans versely through each cam 49 and body portion 46 thereof and are of appropriate size to receive therein the pivot shaft 38 and the drive shaft 42 respectively.

A four-way, three-position, metering valve 52 of conventional design is mounted upon the inner wall 22 of each cylinder housing 8 as by bolts 54. Each of the valves 52 of the pair thereof is provided with an angularly downwardly-extending nose or plunger 55 which contacts the outer periphery of its respective cam 40.

A pair of four-way, three-position, control valves 56 of conventional design is mounted upon the forward face of the rear wall 6 of the housing 4 intermediate the cylinder housings S as by bolts 58 and nuts 60 in spaced re lationship as to each other.

Said control valves 56 are operated in tandem by an L-shaped control lever 62 having a horizontally extending arm which extends through aligned openings provided in a pair of spaced lugs 64 extending upwardly from the upper end of said rear wall 6.

Spaced fingers 66 project outwardly from this horizontally-extending arm of the control lever and are receivable within the notched outer extremities of valve stems 68 which project upwardly and outwardly from each of the control valves 56.

Referring to FIG. 4 it will be observed that a clutch lever 79 has an upper extremity which extends vertically above the upper horizontal plane of the housing 4, intermediate the walls 6 and 26 thereof and a central portion which extends angularly downwardly adjacent the inner Wall 22 of one of the cylinder housings to terminate at its lower extremity in a U-shaped clevis 72, the opposing arms of whichv are offset and slotted or cut out as at 74, as seen in FIG. 8, to engage an inwardly-extending, horizontally-disposed pin or shaft 76 upon which a clutch means subsequently to be described, is mounted.

Said clutch lever 70 is pivoted to the housing by means of a bolt 78 which passes through a suitable opening in the forward wall thereof and through the clutch lever 70 adjacent the lower extremity thereof. A nut 80 is threadedly engaged with said bolt 78, which nut embraces the forward face of the wall 26.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner or rearwardly extending face of Wall 26 is provided with indentations or grooves 82 adjacent its upper horizontal edge to offer a cammed planar surface along which clutch lever 70 may be moved in the actuation of the clutch.

The clutch means, journalled upon the pin 76 comprises a generally A-shaped hub-engaging means 84 which rides in and grips an annular groove or slot 86 provided in a shoulder 88 of a clutch plate 90.

Said clutch plate 90, of generally annular configuration, is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending, circumferentially arranged pegs or pins 92 which are receivable in suitable openings provided in the rim of a reel or spool 94. A tension spring 96 is disposed upon the shaft 76, intermediate the hub-engaging means 84 and the wall 22 of the cylinder housing.

In the operation of the clutch mechanism hereof, the operator may exert a lateral pressure upon the upper extremity of the clutch lever 70 thereby causing it to push upon the bolt 78 and to move along the cammed upper edge of the wall 26 to engage in one of the indentations 82 provided therein. Pivotal movement of the lever has caused the engaging means 84 to exert a horizontal force upon the clutch plate 90, thereby to compress the spring 96 and to cause the pins or pegs 92 to be removed from engagement in the openings provided in the rim of the spool 94.

When clutch engagement is desired, the operator may move the lever from its position of engagement in the indentation 82 whereupon the lever will again pivot upon the bolt 78 to release the compression upon the spring 96 and thereby to cause the clutch plate to move in a horizontal path toward the spool so as to bring the pegs or pins 92 into engagement with the openings provided therein.

Referring to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the drum or spool 94 is provided with a core or cavity 95 centrally thereof to accommodate a drag brake 98, having a horizontally-extending lower wall 100 which embraces the main drive shaft 42. A set screw or bolt 102 extends vertically through the hub of the spool to engage an upper horizontal Wall 104 of the brake. By rotation of the bolt 102, the pressure or drag of the brake 98 upon the drive shaft may be increased or decreased so as to permit faster or slower rotation of the reel, all as may be desired.

Referring tto FIG. 9, the hydraulic assembly of the loading mechanism hereof will now be described. Fluid pressure is introduced to the mechanism through a pair of couplings 110 and 110' mounted on the rear wall 6 of the housing. The pressurized fluid is diverted through said couplings 110 and 110' to each of the metering valves 52. Lines 112 and 114 lead from the coupling 110 to 6 each of the valves 52. Lines 112' and 114' similarly lead from the coupling to each .of the valves 52.

Lines 112 and 112 lead from one of themetering valves 52 of the pair thereof to one of the manual control valves 56, while lines 114 and 114 lead from the other of the metering valves 52 of the pair thereof to the other of the manual control valves 56.

The lines 112 and 112 pass from one of the control valves 56 to opposite ends of one of the cylinders 34, while lines 114 and 114 pass from the other of the control valves 56 to the opposite ends of the other of the cylinders 34.

It will be understood that the position of each of the valvesSZ, relative to its respective cam 40, will determine the direction of flow of the pressurized fluid. Stated otherwise, the cam is rotated by the force exerted from the respective piston so that, as the cams rotate, they actuate the metering valves which divert the fluid to one or the other end of each of the cylinders.

By manipulation of the control lever 62, the direction of flow may be reversed thereby enabling the operator to wind or to *unwind the spool.

As the cams rotate, the plungers 55 of the metering valves 52 are engaged thereby metering oil to the upper or lower ends of the respective cylinders at the proper moment. When oil is fed to "the base of the cylinder, the rod end is caused to move forwardly thus causing the respective cam to rotate. Before the cam reaches dead center, the oil is diverted to the tank momentarily, and then is fed to the opposite end of the respective cylinder thereby pulling the cylinder through its remaining approximate of travel.

The other cylinder being offset by some 90 relative to the first-named cylinder assists in avoiding a dead center. When the right hand cylinder is at its dead spot, the left cylinder is at its peak force, and vice versa.

It will be understood that the cams and the spool or drum are mounted on a common drive shaft so that, as the cams rotate, the drum rotates to wind or unwind the cable or wire disposed upon the drum, same being determined by the position of the control lever 62 and the consequent settings of the control valves 56.

It is believed that the gist of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further analysis thereof at this point is considered unnecessary, as we have, in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, described the construction and principle of operation of the invention together with the apparatus which we believe to represent the best embodiment thereof, to the end that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of its generic and/ or specific aspects. The substitution of equivalents and other changes, modifications and alterations as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, are reasonably contemplated, the invention being susceptible of such without departing from its real spirit or underlying principles.

The claims are desired to include within the scope thereof all of said suitable variations, modifications and equivalents by which substantially the results of the invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent devices or means. Accordingly, limitation hereof should only be made as determined by a proper interpretation of the prior art and the scope of the subjoined claims, in which it is our intention to claim all novelty inherent herein as broadly as possible.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. A hydraulically-actuated device for providing mechanical rotary motion from rectilinearly actuated cylinders comprising, a frame, a drive shaft rotatable relative to said frame, a double-acting single-rod end cylinder pivotally mounted adjacent its upper end on said frame at each sideof said frame and a pistonin each said cylinder, a crank arm pivotally connected to each said piston, a pin disposed on each said crank arm and actuated by the rod end of each of said pistons, said crank arms being keyed together by means of said drive shaft for rotation as an integral unit, a cam fixed to each of said crank arms and to said drive shaft, a four-way three position metering valve connected to each of said cylinders, each said metering valve being positioned adjacent one of said cams and including a plunger adapted to contact the periphery of its respective cam whereby each said valve is controlled by said cams, said metering valves controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to the ends of said cylinders for synchronizing the positions of said valves with the rotary position of the respective said crank arm and the linear position of the respective said cylinder, a pair of four-way three-position control valves linked to said metering valves, and manually operable means for reversing the direction of flow of hydraulic fluid from said control valves to said metering valves for efiectuating the forward or reverse rotative action of said drive shaft.

2. In the device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said four-Way three-position control valves are mounted upon said frame and are operated in tandem by a common control lever, each of the valves of the pair thereof controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to the four-way three-position metering valves of the pair thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,196 Ross Mar. 21, 1882 264,746 Pendlet'on "Sept. 19, 1882 357,938 Nickerson Feb. 15, 1887 398,143 Gale Feb. 19, 1889 416,454 Gale Dec. 3, 1889 757,485 McGrath Apr. 19, 1904 1,400,236 Pfetfer Dec. 13, 1921 1,536,166 Thomas May 5, 1925 2,009,356 Serversky July 23, 1935 2,489,326 Rockstrom et al Nov. 29, 1949 2,687,118 Bennett Aug. 24, 1954 2,811,139 Lado Oct. 29, 1957 2,837,062 Thorpe June 3, 1958 

1. A HYDRAULICALLY-ACTUATED DEVICE FOR PROVIDING MECHANICAL ROTARY MOTION FROM RECTILINEARLY ACTUATED CYLINDERS COMPRISING A FRAME, A DRIVE SHAFT ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, A DOUBLE-ACTING SINGLE-ROD END CYLINDER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT ITS UPPER END ON SAID FRAME AT EACH SIDE OF SAID FRAME AND A PISTON IN EACH SAID CYLINDER, A CRANK ARM PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH SAID PISTON, A PIN DISPOSED ON EACH SAID CRANK ARM AND ACTUATED BY THE ROD END OF EACH OF SAID PISTONS, SAID CRANK ARMS BEING KEYED TOGETHER BY MEANS OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR ROTATION AS AN INTEGRAL UNIT, A CAM FIXED TO EACH OF SAID CRANK ARMS AND TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, A FOUR-WAY THREE POSITION METERING VALVE CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID CYLINDERS, EACH SAID METERING VALVE BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT ONE OF SAID CAMS AND INCLUDING A PLUNGER ADAPTED TO CON- 